Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Lisa showing us the fabulous new foundation, on Benefit Ireland's newest Benefit team member Gillian!

Morning ladies! I was very lucky to have been invited to an oh-so fabulous 'Hello Flawless! Oxegen WOW' Benefit foundation launch, in Brown Thomas last week. I absolutely adore Benefit as a brand, and every event I've attended of theirs has been so fun and enjoyable. This event was technically Benefit Ireland's first blogger-exclusive event, so us lucky gals who were invited along felt trés special indeed.

Benefit's head trend and makeup artist, Lisa-Potter Dixon (she's so fab) talked us through Benefit's newest creation; they're first ever liquid foundation. It's been in the works for years, and finally it's arrived for us Bene-babes to pounce on. 'Hello Flawless! Oxygen WOW' (mouthful, I know) isn't just any liquid foundation however; it gives you luminosity and a natural glow, whilst offering buildable coverage, anti-aging properties and has a fantastic SPF of 25 - what's not to love?! It's available in 9 different shades - the lightest 'Ivory' ACTUALLY matches my skintone btw. It comes with a hygienic pump and snazzy bottle of course - Benefit's packaging never ceases to amaze me! It retails at €34, which is quite dear but for all of the qualities the foundation has to offer, I think it's worth it. 'Hello Flawless!' launches on March 31st, but we were lucky enough to get this sneak-peak before it hits the shelves. As far as first impressions go? I adore this foundation! I'm constantly on the hunt for a new foundation to try and test out, and I'm dying to get my paws on this to give a solid go.

I had a blast at this event, I must say.. I always adore blogger events, chatting to my fellow bloggers is always so much fun and I always meet someone new at them! The restaurant downstairs in BT's served the most delicious nibbles (myself and Dee ate around half of the tray, I'm sure) and yummy champagne. The Benefit team are truly inspirational and passionate about their work. I'd sure love to work for Benefit myself!

If we weren't spoilt enough, we were each given a complimentary 'Hervana' blusher as a gift. It's Benefit's newest blusher, that is just HEAVENLY! I shall have a review up later this week on it, fret not. (We're also getting a complimentary bottle of 'Hello Flawless!' sent out to us soon to try and test out, so keep an eye out for a big review on that baby also.)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Seeing as we're having quite the heat-wave here in Ireland at the mo, I thought it'd be great to put together a sun protection post for you all! I have the palest of pale Irish hide, and burn like a crisp in the sun unfortunately. I'm not into tanning, and I've never been one to sunbathe or lay aimlessly on the grass for hours in the heat, but I do like to stay hydrated, pale and alive (slight exaggeration).

I've used Boots pharmacy 'Soltan' suncare range since I was a child, they're the ones I buy each year - I remember reading an article years ago, stating that Soltan and Asda (supermarket chain in the UK) brand suncare ranges, were the only lotions that give you a genuine 100% 5-star protection rating. Boots always have deals on also, especially on their Soltan range around Summer time, usually 2-3 bottles won't cost you over €25. I personally ADORE the scent of Soltan lotions, they bring back tons of nostalgic Summer holiday memories.

I use Soltan's 'Moisturising Suncare Lotion' with an SPF of 50, all over my body. It sinks in well, is water resistant, insect repellent, moisturising, smells amazing and doesn't clog your pores. If I'm out in the sun for a prolonged time, I make sure to reapply it every 2 hours or so. On my face, I use Soltan's 'Moisturising Suncare Cream - Face', with an SPF of 50 also. It can be worn under makeup but it does leave the skin a tad bit dewy looking, so apply a light dusting of powder over your makeup afterwards. It doesn't clog pores at all, and sinks in quite fast which is a bonus.

I don't apply suncream everyday, which you're meant to do; I'm far too lazy! However, I do wear M.A.C's 'Prep + Prime' Face Protection Primer daily, which has an SPF of 50 too. It's reassuring to know that I at least have SOME sun protection on, under all of my war paint. I've never been the biggest fan of aftersun to be honest, as I find it quite oily and greasy, so I just use my regular body lotion in the evening after I've been out in the sun for the day. My all-time favourite lotion is Vaseline's 'Essential Moisture' (which was featured in my Best Beauty Products of 2011). It sinks in unbelievably fast, is cheap as chips and smells amaze!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Evening all! I'm sure you'll all be glad to know that I'm back blogging; I moved house so I took a wee break from writing to organise myself and all that jazz. I'm glad to be back however, and have a ton of posts lined up for you all!

Last week, I attended a fabulous event at Make Up For Ever, launching their new lipstick and gloss collection - everything from the sheerest nude, to the boldest bright. I've been a fan of MUFE products for ages now, as most of you know I studied a makeup artistry course there last Summer, so I was thrilled to head along to this event. MUFE are mostly known throughout the beauty world for their foundations, especially their HD range. They felt they were lacking in some departments however, and decided to ump the amp and release 100 new lipsticks and lipglosses.. yes, one hundred. Form a queue ladies!

The Rouge Artist Intense lipstick range is divided into two categories; Intense and Natural. There are 50 shades in each category, with a shade and consistency for everyone. The €19 price tag may be a tad steep for some, but I can assure you it'll be worth every penny investing in one of these gorgeous products. MUFE is a brand I go to constantly for trustworthy and unique products. Their Matt Velvet + foundation in the shade '15' is an all-time favourite of mine, being one of the only foundations to match my pale skin to a T.

Annie Gribbon the owner of the MUFE store and MUFE's International Professional Trainer David Arbid talked us through the new range, and tried out some of the gorgeous shades on myself, Julie and Aoife. I, of course, opted for a crazy purple. I adored it, and surprisingly enough I even liked the gloss on top (I usually detest lipgloss). It had fantastic staying power, and made my lips pop and really completed my look.

MUFE products are tough to get hold of, sure London are still waiting for a flagship to be opened on their shores - we're trés lucky here in Dublin to have one, and it's been around for almost 25 years. Fret not though, Annie told us that MUFE will be opening an Irish online store in the very near future, so keep your eyes peeled! Exciting stuff..

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

One of my favourite natural lipsticks of all time, M.A.C's 'Creme Cup' has become an ultimate must-have for me since I first purchased it. I'm a self-confessed lipstick junkie, but I don't own that many M.A.C lippys surprisingly enough. I bought this lipstick in late 2010, and I've found it has been ultimate go-to lippy when I'm not in the mood to wear brights or if I'm wearing a dramatic eye look.

It's a cremesheen formulation, so it goes on creamy and slightly glossy onto the lips, but I find it mattifies gradually after a few minutes of wearing it on my lips. It's a perfect 'my lips but better' shade, and is most often teamed up with a smokey eye on me. It'd be a perfect shade if you like 60s makeup, it's very Brigitte Bardot! Muted, soft pinks were the colours of the era, and they compliment everyone and most makeup looks. If I'm not bothered with a full-face of makeup, I usually slap on a bit of concealer, mascara and then this lipstick; it instantly pretties you up.

The scent is the typical vanilla scent most M.A.C lipsticks have, which I adore! It's lasted me over a year and a half, and I still have quite a decent amount left. It's a fantastic lipstick to buy someone as a gift, as the shade would suit generally everyone, and is a gorgeous shade for beginners. I find M.A.C lipsticks are worth the money, and one of the only products of theirs I'd buy a lot. I'd highly recommend this lipstick, as you really can't go wrong with buying it! Treat yourself..

Monday, March 12, 2012

Morning all! Today I thought I'd share with you all, how I get my pin-up inspired eyebrows. I use quite a simple technique, that ensures your eyebrows last all day. I also have a ton of tips and advice for you all, when it comes to plucking, finding your shape, alternative eye brow kits, brushes etc. I wear quite a 40s/50s retro brow, as it suits the pin-up make up I wear daily and it suits me. You can alter the shape to suit your taste and face shape of course - enjoy!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Ok, it may still be March.. but I can feel Summer looming just around the corner! Spring is my favourite season overall, but the coldness just doesn't seem to be budging in Ireland anytime soon. I decided to whip out all of my Summer clobber regardless, and wore a floral Summer dress around my house in excitement. There's nothing more gorgeous than seeing all of the flowers popping up outside, longer and brighter days and just everyone's spirits lifted up.

Summer dresses take up at least half of my wardrobe, I can never get enough of something girlie and retro - it's a total addiction! The number I'm wearing above, is a light floral dress from Penneys (Primark). It cost €7, and will be worn to death, again, this year. I love how versatile Summer dresses are; you can dress them down with a pair of Converse and a cardi, or dress them up with chunky heels and a billowy hat; they're an essential wardrobe item for every girl!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Good evening lovelies! I know this post is well overdue, but as some of you fellow-bloggers may know, that the Blogger photo uploader was acting up for the past 2 weeks; very annoying! I've finally been able to upload my London photos - London Fashion Week, touristy trips, food and what I bought over there. There's a ton of photos, but I thought I'd put them all together in the one post as it's easier to follow. I'd recommend that you watch the vlog video I made below, I recorded daily what I got up to and it'll give you a better idea of the trip as a whole. I've also included my haul video at the bottom of the post, which will go into more detail about what I bought.

I had an absolute ball over there, it really was a trip to remember! I met some amazing people, and got such a taste of the fashion world - LFW definitely made me feel 100% content about the career path I want to go down. I hope to return to fashion week again next season, fingers crossed..

LFW Day 1- Somerset House busy, busy, busy!

My accessories for the week.

The blog bar at Somerset House, where us bloggers could blog daily - very handy!

Simone Rocha et moi, she was sososo lovely.

Simone Rocha S/S '12.

Zoe Jordan show:

Celeb spotting! Holly Valance and Jameela Jamil.

Jameela and myself, I look awful. This was our third attempt at the photo, as Nana forgot to press the button haha. Jameela's assistant was going mad! She was so nice though.

Sunset at Somerset House.

Simone Rocha show:

John Rocha and his wife, over to the left.

Kryolan makeup store, in Covent Garden.

Jeffrey Campbell love..

Excuse my face! Gem and I - I absolutely adore Gem's blog, she is such a sweetheart!

Note: some of the photos are all wonky, and aren't in line with the rest.. I've tried fixing it, but Blogger just won't let me. I'm getting really, really frustrated with this site lately. Does it ever fully work?! :(